Canadian hantavirus case confirmed as cruise ship docks in Netherlands for disinfection

The Dutch cruise ship at the centre of the deadly hantavirus outbreak has returned to the Netherlands.

Mobile homes have been set up at the port of Rotterdam for the crew to self-isolate inside.

It comes after officials in B.C. revealed this weekend that a Canadian who was onboard tested positive.

Crews in protective clothing prepared the MV Hondius for a specialized cleaning, as the final 25 people on board the Dutch cruise ship disembark.

“Still 25 people aboard, especially tired, but they don’t have any symptoms that are compatible with the hantavirus,” said Yvonne van Duijnhoven, director of Rotterdam municipal health service.

The World Health Organization recommended 42 days of isolation, as the port arranges temporary lodging for each of them.

“All people will be medically monitored and quarantined in proper situations,” said Dr. Tjalling Leenstra with the Netherlands’ Public Health Agency. “So there’s no risk of further spread.”

READ MORE: Ontario now testing asymptomatic people for hantavirus; low-risk cases to stop isolating if negative

Some Dutch citizens expressed some concern about the arrival, fearing some crew might not follow the quarantine rules, but were otherwise unbothered by the boat.

Three people died after they were onboard the ship, which sailed from Southern Argentina, and across the Atlantic with the outbreak of the Andes hantavirus developing during the voyage.

The Andres strain is a rare type of hantavirus that is able to transmit between people.

Most types of hantavirus can only be caught from rodents.

So far, at least 11 passenger cases have emerged, including a Canadian.

“Clearly, this is not what we hoped for, but it is what we planned for,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, the Provincial Health Officer for B.C.

Almost 40 Canadians are connected to the outbreak in some way — most are considered at low risk of developing the illness.

Some of them are isolating here in Ontario.

READ MORE: Canadian tests ‘presumptive positive’ for hantavirus while isolating in B.C.